Leather-edge-burnishing machine.



V. P. BUCK. LEATHER EDGE BURNISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1914.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

witnesses.-

@GIJW THE COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 520.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

nr'rn era.

VERTRUDE F. BUCK, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-EDGE-BURNISHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dial. 14c, 1918.

Application filed May 14, 1914. Serial No. 838,608.

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, Vnnrnoun P. BUCK, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inLeather-Edge-Burnishing Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention consists in an improved machine for finishing the edge ofleather by rounding and smoothing the same so that such edge shallpresent a satisfactory appearance. The said machine is adapted for useupon upper leather, and also upon leather for the manufacture of variousarticles other than shoes. The finishing operation renders unnecessarythe folding or turning over upon itself of the marginal portion of theleather heretofore customary.

In my machine I combine a burnishing device or tool which engages theedge of a piece of leather toround and smooth the said edge, andautomatic adjustment-means which operates under the control of thethickness of the said piece to maintain a constant relationship betweenthe acting portion of the burnishing device or tool and the angle orcorner of the edge of the leather at the upper face of the leather inthe case of all variations in the thickness of the leather. In theillustrated embodiment of the invention, the burnishing device or toolis'provided with 'a burnishing groove, and the adjustment-means iscombined operatively with the burnishing :device or tool to maintain theconstant relationship just mentioned. The drawings, however, showbut onemanner of carrying the invention into e'fi'ect. It is to be understoodthat the invention is not necessarily restricted thereto. Prior machinesfor the same general purpose have been of two types, namely those havingreciprocating burnishing devices or tools and those having rotaryburnishing' devices or tools. The principles of the invention areequallyapplicable to machines of both types.

I have shownthe saidprinciples embodied in a machine containing a rotaryburnishing device or tool, but the application thereof to a machinecontaining a reciprocating burnishing device or tool will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in front elevation, with the machinebasein vertical longitudinal section, a machine containing the saidembodiment.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the said machine.

Having reference tothe drawings, the machine shown therein has a hollowbase 1, within which the driving mechanism and connections and certainof the working parts are mounted. The top surface of said base is usedas a work support. From the base IISGS. an armor goose-neck 2, in thehead of which the stem or spindle of the presser-device is mounted.Withinthe base a feed-wheel 3 is mounted, to serve in advancing pasttheburnishing device or tool the piece of leather which is operated upon.For the convenient mounting of the said feed-wheel, an axial stud 4-connected therewith is fitted within a bearing in a block'5 thatprojects downward within the base from the top thereof. The place in thebearing, and the feed-wheel in its proper working position, by means ofa groove 4* in the portion of the said stud that occupies the bearingand a screw 6 which is fitted to a threaded hole tapped in the bottomportion of the block 5, the said screw having a reduced inner end whichenters the said groove. In the working position of the. feed-wheel thetop portion thereof occupies a slot in the top of the base 1, andprojects slightly above the upper surface of thebase in order that itmay engage with the leather resting on such surface. Withdrawalof thescrew 6 to an extent suflicient to disengage its inner end from thegroove P will unlock the stud so as to permit the latter to he slid outof the bearing and the feed-wheel to be removed. j

To provide for rotating the feed-wheel 3, the latter has attached to ita miter-gear 7, with which meshes a miter-gear Shaving its stud 9 fittedto a bearing in the block 5. The

said stud 9 has an annular groove 9 which 1s occupied by the inner endof a retaining screw 10, thus providing for retaining the miter-gear 8in working relations with the miter-gear 7, and for its disengagement orremoval. Worm-gear 11 is attached tothe said miter-gear 8, and with saidworm-gear engages a worm 12 upon one end of a horizontal shaft 18extending lengthwise of the machine andjournaled in bearings at 14, 14,

stud 4 is kept in whichare provided in connection with the 7 base at theopposite ends of the latter. The said shaft 13'has thereon at its otherend a worm-gear15, which is engaged by a worm 16 upon atransverserotating shaft 17 that is journaled in bearings 18, 18, with which thebase 1 is provided. Through the described connections the feed-wheel 3is driven from the shaft 17.

The presser 19, which bears upon a piece of leather passing between itand feedwheel 3 so as to hold the leather firmly in contact with theperiphery of the said wheel, to insure the feeding of the leatheras'well as clamp the leather between two confining surfaces alongsidethe place where the 3 ing against the edge, is in this instance awheeler roll journaled in a yoke carried by the lower end of apresser-bar 21 working in guides 22, 23, in connection s with the headof the arm or goose-neck 2.

The guide 22 is in the-lower portion of the said head, and the lowerportion of the presser bar 21, which is larger 'in'diameter than theupper portion of the Presser-bar,

occupies the said guide.

' its position to the thickness of the leather passing between thefeed-wheel and the presser. 'The guide-sleeve 23 is verticallyadjustable. The adjustability is secured by screw-threading the saidsleeve externally,

and internally threading the bore in the head which is occupied by thesleeve. For convenience in turning the sleeve by hand in makingadjustment, the upper end of the sleeve is furnished with a knurled heador flange 24-. The sleeve is locked in adjusted position by means of aclamping screw 25, provided with a knurled head for convenience inturning the same'by hand,

and having its threaded stemfitted within a threaded hole that is tappedthrough the front of the head, the inner endof the said screw 25 beingadapted tobind against the threaded portion of the sleeve. WVhen thescrew is tightened up against the sleeve the latter is held fromaccidental turning. When the screw 25 is loosened the sleeve is free tobe turned so as to adjust the same up or down. is pressed with yieldingforce toward the feed-wheel 3 by means of an expanding spiral spring 26,which is confined in'a more or less compressed state between the lowerendof the sleeve 23 and the shoulder at the junction of the reducedportion of the presser-bar with the larger lower portion of thepresser-bar.

The burnishing deviceor tool embodied in the machine shown in thedrawings consists of a wheel 27 having a peripheral groove 28 adapted toreceive the edge of a piece of leather to be operated upon. Thisburnishing wheel 27 is 'mounted at in burnishing device or tool is act-7 The presser 19 r of a piece of leather occupying a position betweenthe feed-wheel and the presser will enter the said groove.

The burnishing wheel 27 is mounted upon a spindle 29. This spindle ismounted witha sleeve 30 in which it rotates, the spindle and sleevebeing pinned together by means of a pin 31 passing through both thereof.The sleeve 31 is fitted within a bearing 32 in connection with the topof the base '1, and is adapted to rotate within such bearing as well asmove through the same in the direction of the length of the spindle and.sleeve The burnishing wheel is fixed upon the spindle '29 at the upper 7end of the sleeve 30, and upon the said sleeve above the bearing 32 isfixed a whirl or pulley 33 for use in rotating the sleeve 30, spindle29, and burnishing wheel 27. 7

Rotary motion is communicated to the said parts by means of a drivingband 34 passingpartly around thesaid whirl or pulley 33and also partlyaround pulleys 35 and 36upon'the shaft 17 to an actuating pulley, notshown. The pulley35 is loosely mounted uponathe shaft 17 and is simplyadirection-changing idler-pulley. [The pulley 36 c is made fast. withthe shaft 17 by means of a pin 37, so that by means ofthe bandBatand the:saidpulley 36. the shaft17 is rotated. Y

1 The .means throughiwhieh the burnishing device or tool is adjustedautomatically under the control of the thickness of the piece oi leatherbeing operated upon, so as. to

maintain. a constant relationship between the acting portion of thegroove of the burnishing device or tool and the angle or corner'ofthe'edge of the leather at the upper face of the leather in the case ofall variations in the thickness of the leather, comprises in 'themachine shown in the drawings the yoke 38 having its upper portionoperatively combined with the presser 19 and its lower portionoperatively combined with the burnishing device or tool. The

operative engagement of the upper portion of the-yoke with the presseris effected by means of a split socket 39'with which such portion isprovided, the said split socket fitting'the presser-bar 21 above the topof r the sleeve 23, the split socket being providedwith screws 40, 40.by means of which theopposite sides of the split socket are contractedupon the presser-bar so as to bind tightly thereagainst. For theoperative engagement between the lower portion of the yoke 38 and theburnishing device ortool the saidlower portion is'furnishedwith-a-sleeve or thimble 41 which fits upon the spindle 29 below thesleeve 30, and within which the spindle rotates. The lower end of thesleeve 30 rests upon the upper end of the sleeve or thimble ll. Throughthe connection of the yoke 38 with the presser-bar 21 the position ofthe yoke ver' tically is determined by that'of the presser. An upwardmovement of the presser will operate to move the yoke 38 upward, and adownward movement of the presser will be accompanied by a correspondingdescent of the yoke. Through the engagement between the upper end of thesleeve or thimble ll and the lower end of the sleeve 30, the positionvertically of the burnishing device or tool is determined by that of theyoke. Upward movement of the yoke in unison with a correspondingmovement of the presser will be accompanied by an upward movement of theburnishing device or tool. Downward movement of the yoke in unison witha corresponding movement of the'presser will be accompanied by adownward movement of the hurnishing device or tool. Consequently theburnishing device or tool-will be caused to move in unisonwiththepressery and the positions of both will be controlled by thethickness of the piece of leather that is being operated upon.

Independent adjustment of the burnishing device or tool with respect tothe feedwheel is provided for by making the guide sleeve 23 verticallyadjustable in the head of the goose-neck, and by making the sleeve orthimble ll adjustable in connection with the lower portion ofthe yoke38. The top end of the guide-sleeve 23 constitutes a stop upon which theupper portion of the yoke comes to rest in the descent of the presserand yoke when there is no material between the feed-wheel and presser.This limits the approach of the presser toward the feed-roll and alsothe descent oft-he yoke and burnishing device or tool. A furtheradjustment of the burnishing device or tool is provided for by formingthe exterior of the sleeve or thimble 41 with a screw-thread, andfitting it to a screw -threaded hole through the lower portion of theyoke 88, a polygonal flange or head 1-2 being provided upon the sleeveor thimble for convenience in turning the same in making adjustment. Bymeans of the adjustable sleeve or thimble 41 the burnishing device ortool may be adjusted relative to the yoke. The described adjustingdevices enable the groove 28 to be placed in the proper workingrelations with the periphery of the feed-wheel 3.

It will be perceived that, the machine having been adjusted to locatethe groove of the burnishing device or tool in the proper workingrelation with respect to thepe-- riphery of the feed-wheel 3, if a pieceof leather is introduced between the feed-wheel and the' presser thethickness of the leather itself will operate through the presse'r andthe automatic adjustment-means to maintain a constant relationshipbetween the act ing portion of the groove and the upper angle or cornerof the edge of the leather, regardless of variations in the thickness ofthe leather, so as thereby ,to secure the best results in smoothing androunding the portion of the edge of theleather which is eX- posed toview when the leather is incorporated in a shoe, etc.

While I have been particular to describe fully the construction of themachine shown in'the drawings, and while the said machineembodies'useful and valuable features f invention to which I lay claimherein, it is to be understood that the broader phases of the inventionas herein claimed are not restricted to embodiment in the preciseconstruction thus shown;

What is claimed is 1. A leather-edge burnishing machine comprising aburnishing device or tool arranged to engage the edge of a piece ofleather to round and smooth the said edge, and automaticadjustment-means which operates under the control of the thickness of ithe said piece to maintain a constant relationship between the actingportion of the burnishing device or tool and the angle or per face ofthe leather in the case of variations in the thickness of the leather.

2. A leather-edge burnishing machine comprising a burnishing device ortool having a burnishing groove arranged to receive the edge of a pieceof leather to round and smooth the said edge, and automaticadjustment-means which operates under the con-V trol of the thickness ofsaid piece to maintain a constant relationship between the porcorner ofthe edge of the leather at the uption of the groove which acts upon theangle I or corner of the edge of the leather at the upper face of theleather, and the said angle or corner, in the case of variations inthickness of the leather.

3. A leather-edge burnishing machine comprising a feed-wheel, a presser,a burnishingdevice or tool arranged to engage the edge of a piece ofleather held between said feed-wheel and presser. to round and smooththe said edge, and adjustment-means through which the position of thepresser as determined by the thickness of the leather acts to maintain aconstant relationship between the acting portion of the burn'ishingdevice or tool and the angle or corner of the the edge of the leather atthe upper face of the leather in the case of variations in the saidthickness. 7

' t. A leather-edge burnishing machine comprising a feednvheel, apresser, a burnishing device or tool having a burnishing groove arrangedto receive the edge of a .Gopies'o! thll'patent may be obtained forthrough which the position of the presser as determined by thethicknessof the .leather acts to maintain a constant relationship between theacting portion of the groove" and the angle or corner of the edge of theleather at the'upper face of the leather in the case of variations inthe said thickness.

5. A. leather-edge burnishing machine comprising a rotating burnishingWheel having a burnishing groove arranged to receive the edge of a pieceof leather to round and smooth the said edge, an automaticadjustment-means which operatesunder the control of the thickness ofsaid piece to maintain a constant relationship between the actingportion of the groove and the angle or corner of the edge of the leatherat the upper face of the leather inthe case of variations in thethickness of the leather. j

6. A leather-edge burnishing machine comprising a feed-Wheel, apresser,- a rotating burnishing Wheel having a burnishing groovearranged to receive the edge of piece of leather to round and smooth thesaid edge, and automatic adjustment-means through Which the position ofthe presser as determined by the thickness of the leather acts tomaintain a constant relationship between the action portion of thegroove and the a-ngle'or corner of the edge of the leather at the upperface of the leather in the'case in the case of variations in the saidthickr135 HESS.

In testimony WhereofI aliix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

' VERTR-UDE P. BUCK.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDAL ELLEN 0. SPRING.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. 0.

